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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · fine · cap · perch · bark · pound · lash · patient

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pound — a weight
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — a lid
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bark — to shout
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cap — a hat
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com